Plastic Pollution is Sickening Coral Reefs, 4-Year Study Finds

Plastic pollution threatens marine ecosystems as coral reefs are getting sick in oceans, according to a recent study. Around 159 coral reefs from the Asia – Pacific area got sick from being in contact with 11.1 billions of plastic waste. The plastic items entangled in the reefs and their disease likelihood increased with 4% – 89%.

Plastic pollution deprives coral reefs from light and oxygen, and exposes them to toxin release. Species of coral with more spikes have higher chances to be invaded by plastic waste. The study published by the Science journal observed the Asia – Pacific region for 4 years. Australian corals were least affected by plastic, while the most sick corals were found in Indonesia. Dr. Joleah Lamb from the Cornell University in Ithaca, US feared these results. However, the specialist thinks that big plastic polluters can slow this process down.

Plastic is one of the biggest threats in the ocean at the moment, I would say, apart from climate change.

How Plastic Pollution Can Change the World

Among the plastic items, researchers found baby diapers, bottles, cotton swabs, broken fishing lines, or plastic bags. Researchers claim that the diseases that coral reefs get can spread to humans. More than 3 quarters of the plastic waste found in oceans comes from the shores. Therefore, researches advise countries to focus and invest more in plastic management.

The study estimates that the number of plastic debris will increase with 40% by 2025. Also, it will affect the health of the ecosystem and human livelihood. In the area there are more than 275 million people who use coral reefs for food purposes, tourism and cultural significance. The economy of the most affected countries will seriously damage due to plastic pollution.